


Remember Me This Way

by MelindaTheCavalryMay



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Dad/daughter, F/M, Family, Fluff, Gen, Halloween, Nostalgia, Supernatural - Freeform, casper movie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-27
Updated: 2014-10-27
Packaged: 2018-02-22 21:40:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2522735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MelindaTheCavalryMay/pseuds/MelindaTheCavalryMay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written originally for Philinda One Scene challenge Halloween special. Though not a scary scene but this is based on the dance scene from one of my favourite Halloween movies ever ‘Casper’. Seeing his daughter Dance with Casper, Phil is taken back in time where he met Melinda.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Remember Me This Way

**Author's Note:**

> Not yet adapted to writing AUs .. Hope you'll like it.

Remember Me This Way - A Philinda AU

 

Phil stood near the railing looking downstairs as music filled in the room.   
Young hands held each other and swayed to the music. Feeling carefree about the world. A small smile spread on his lips as he saw these little kids, pre teens, paired up into pairs of 2, dancing to 'Thriller' by MJ. This music was definitely Skye's choice, she was obsessed with MJ and his music. She had dressed up as him for Halloween more times than he can remember. He chuckled at the thought.   
If it was his choice he would've preferred slow dance nos. The party was Halloween themed no doubt, but still he preferred slow music, because it reminded him of the days he never managed to forget and neither did he want to. 

He saw Skye, the 'host' of the party today stand in the corner, while all the other kids danced. They had shifted to this city recently and she was yet to make friends. She knew some people but she missed her old group and found it tough to meet new ones. Holding this party at their place was one of the ways to get her to interact with new kids. 

Standing there he suddenly noticed the music had changed. The whole house was filled with the one song he wished he could avoid listening to especially today even though his heart really wanted to. As Jordan Hill sang 'Remember Me This Way' he could feel a lump form in his throat, he never noticed a tear that had managed to escape from the corner of his eye and fall on the back of his palm holding the railing.   
Nostalgia took hold of him. The first time he had met her, he was a teenager like his daughter, maybe a little elder. He was forced by his mum to attend this Halloween party being held for the kids that Lived in the neighbourhood, just like his daughter he was new to the place and wasn't really comfortable with the idea but still decided to go for his mom's sake. There he had met her for the first time, standing in the corner, seeming nervous. Maybe it was fate that had played a game on them, she was dressed up as Peggy Carter for the Halloween party while he was dressed up as Captain America.   
"Hello I'm Melinda" Peggy Carter aka the girl he was so mesmerised with had come up to him and said.   
"Uhhh .. Hi hi .. Hello .. I'm .. Uhh .." He didn't realise he was stuck up until he had heard her giggle. She had the world's most beautiful smile, he could spend hours watching her smile like that.   
"Steve Rogers ?" She heard him say.   
"Sorry ?" He replied confused by her taking his hero's name.   
"Your name .. You didn't tell me anything" she replied.  
"Oh yeah .. Sorry .. I'm Coulson .. Phillip Coulson" he said offering his hand. 'Did he just imitate James Bond ? Damn he was making a fool of himself.   
"Ok Hello Coulson Phillip Coulson" she joked "I'm new here, saw you were a bit uncomfortable as well so guessed you might be new as well, and you were dressed as Captain so thought to come over and say hi" she replied with a smile. God she was beautiful he thought.   
"Yeah moved in last month and you ?" He asked  
"Around the same time. My mum travels a lot so I had to stay with my grandma before graduating, so moved in with her" she replied.   
"Oh great, it's just me and my mum as well. I'm gonna graduate next year too" he replied. 

They went on talking to each other throughout the whole party. Laughing at each others' lame jokes and talking about how similar they were. They went on to the dance floor and danced to the music and it was Jordan Hill's 'Remember Me This Way' that was the song that kind of became 'their song'. The same song that had played on their graduation party (he requested it for her), when they went to Karaoke, during their first date, during their academy prom, during their wedding, he hummed the lyrics for May and Skye when she was carrying her, the same song played during their long drives, even when they were on missions and she was flying the jets after a successful mission, when they were in the lounge relaxing, the song he sang for her during her birthday before she went for the mission that changed everything, and also during her funeral 3 years back.   
Melinda always used to feel that Nostalgia was fine but she'd rather deal with reality and now the reality was that only these nostalgic memories of her is what he had, the reality had no Melinda but he had Skye, the bane of his existence,the last thing of Melinda he had left. She was just like her mum in many ways. A bit bossy and always liked to be the best, stubborn but extremely warm and fun to be with. Extremely hardworking and never gave up. 

He noticed that Skye was now on the dance floor dancing to their song with this new kid. The kid seemed around Skye's age, maybe a little older. Skye was swaying slowly to the music while he held her hand, smile on her face and she reminded him so much of May at the moment but this kid seemed new. He hadn't seen him before in this party, did he enter when he was so deeply lost in thoughts ? He had seen the others kids around, one time or the other, but this kid, he'd never seen him in the neighbourhood before. 

He had made up his mind to go downstairs when he felt someone rest their palm on his.   
"He's Casper" she said. The voice stunned him beyond belief and he turned to see Melinda, his Melinda stand there smiling at him.   
"Melinda ..." He whispered because his voice seemed to have given up on him. He knew this wasn't real but it felt so much like that.  
The way her touch felt, there was no way this wasn't Melinda but what was she doing here ?   
"It's our song Phil, how did you think I wouldn't come when it would play ?" She asked.   
"Are you for real ?" He didn't feel stupid for asking that because he really really wanted it to be true.   
"If being real means, being physically present, then no" she shook her head, he gave a sad smile nodding his head.  
"I wish you were" he said, his voice carrying the amount of sadness he never even knew he carried.  
"I know, but it isn't possible is it ?" She replied with a sad smile of her own and added "but let's not think of that right now."  
"She's growing up fast" she said pointing to Skye.   
"Yeah and once again she's dressed as MJ" he replied with a giggle.   
She giggled as well, just like all those years back. "I'm not surprised" she replied.

They looked at their daughter with pride in their eyes, hands holding each other's never wanting to let go.   
"Who's Casper ?" He asked looking at May.   
"The 'friend' of hers she's been talking to you about" she said with a smirk.   
"The .. Ghost kid ??" He looked quite shocked.   
"Yup .. Don't worry, he's a good ghost" she replied with a wink.   
"I thought she was imagining stuff" he said.   
"I'm not surprised, she does have quite an imagination but Casper is real. The kid has been in this house since his parents left after he died. He really cares about Skye and has been helping her a lot, so I granted him a wish which was that he wanted to take a human form and dance with Skye" she said with a smile.  
"Oh .. So Skye was right, this place is haunted." He replied  
"Was .. Not anymore" she replied  
"And you're what a fairy ?" He asked with a boyish grin. He had missed this so much, talking to Melinda like the old days.   
"You can say that.. I'm her guardian angel, I will always keep a protective watch over her but I don't visit like this. Today somehow the song, and your memories brought me here" she said.   
Even though the music was loud in the house, it seemed liked silence had taken over the place from where they stood and looked at Skye. 

"You're doing a great job with her Phil" Melinda said breaking the silence.  
"I try .. I can't be you .. I can never be you Mel." He replied.   
"You don't have to be, Skye knows that and she loves you, she thinks you're the world's best dad you know ?" Melinda said tightening her grip on Phil's hand.   
"Yeah ? And you know that because ...?" Phil asked, he was already grinning wide with what Melinda had told him.   
"We talk, well she does to my picture, I can't reply but I always hear what she has to say. You know she told me if she had ever had a daughter she'd name her Melinda" Melinda said with a sense of pride in her eyes.   
"I'm not surprised about that" Phil replied.   
"And I thought you'd go hyper she's talking about kids at this age" Melinda replied jokingly.   
"Well I am but then she's Skye, she thinks a lot, you know that" he answered with a smirk.

It felt as if they'd been transported back by 3 years, most of their talks used to be about Skye, since both were in SHIELD, they used to go on missions but whenever they got time they used to spend it together as a family. After Melinda passed away, Phil couldn't risk Skye losing her other parent as well and so had taken up an administration job in the organisation, he missed being in the field but then being there without Melinda beside him as his partner was tougher. 

"I wish they'd play our song again, it'll be nice to dance with you once more" Phil said.   
Melinda gave a smile and held his shoulders, in a matter of seconds their song was on, Remember Me This Way. Phil looked at her surprised. He glanced downstairs and the group of kids seemed like they were dancing to a fast no., he looked back at May confused. 

"It's our song, so I'm playing it just for us, don't worry they can't see us" she replied with a smile.   
Phil held her by her waist and she wrapped her arms around his neck and they starting swaying slowly to the music. Dealing with reality was always better but nostalgia when it seemed so real was what he preferred. She rest her head on his shoulder and he tightened his grip around her, not wanting to let go, he knew when this would end she'd be gone, and he wasn't ready to let got yet. 

"It's been 3 years" she said and added "since I last heard this song"   
"Same here" he replied a certain sadness lacing his tone.   
"I need you to move on Phil" she added.   
She lift her head to look directly into his eyes. Tears forming in her eyes and in his as well.   
"I don't think I can Mel." He said.   
"I can't keep coming like this Phil" she said with a sad smile on her face. "I can't because I'm happy, my family, you and Skye have loved me so much that there's nothing I could have asked for more. So I can go peacefully."   
"I miss you Mel, I can't let go." He replied almost choking. Words finding it tougher to escape his throat.   
"You don't have to, I'm always with you Phil, I'm always here" she said resting her palm on his chest where she could hear his heart beat. "And you have Skye to remind you of me when you miss me." She added.  
"I know ..." He said "but I wish we could be like this forever" he added.   
"I know" she replied resting her head back on his shoulder.   
They continued to sway to the music. After a few minutes Melinda lifted her head from his shoulder. Brought up her hand to rest it on his cheek, looking at him intensely. Both of them knew it was time but neither ready to acknowledge that.   
"I have to go now" she said.   
He couldn't reply because his voice betrayed him. With tears filling up his eyes all he could do was nod.   
"Promise me you'll move on" she said. He shook his head refusing. "Atleast promise me you'll try" she said. "I'll try" he replied.   
He leaned down to her and gave her a kiss, one that he would etch into his memory forever.   
"I love you Mel" he said breaking the kiss.   
"I love you too Phillip" She replied and as the clock struck 12 a bright light entered the huge window and Melinda walked back slowly retrieving her hand from his, holding it for one last time tightly before letting go, and he saw her vanish into the light slowly.

He would've stayed like that forever looking into the light but he heard kids saying "woahhhhh!!!" From downstairs. Wondering if everything was alright he looked down to see Casper turning his form from a kid to a ghost as well and all the kids looking at him stunned. Even Skye who was shocked. Slowly like Melinda,Casper vanished and Skye looked up at her dad.   
He expected to see her crying but she had a huge smile on her face. He saw as she mouthed the words "Thank You" to her dad.   
"Mr. Coulson that was such an awesome effect..." One of the kids shouted.   
"Seriously that's the coolest thing I've ever seen someone do with technology" another kid replied.   
He gave them a smile and saw the kids come up to Skye who now seemed to be making quite a few friends.   
'Kids today' he thought shaking his head as he decided to return to his room and get some rest. This had been a very intense day for him. The day he met His May all over again. He walked downstairs, Skye ran over to him to give him a tight hug. 

"You're the best dad in the whole world and I love you" she said.   
"I know kid, and I love you too" he said. "Make sure everything's cleaned up by tomorrow morning" he said and left the room with a smile on his face and his palm resting on his chest feeling his heart beat, the place where Melinda rested.


End file.
